Mechanical interlock for engine self-starters.



A. L. McMURTRY.

MECHANICAL INTERLOCK FOR ENGINE SELF STARTERS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT 28,1912.

1,214,048, Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

WITNESSES 0 UMTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALDEN L MQMUBTRY, OF SOUND BEACH, CONNECTICUT.

MECHANICAL INTERLOCK FOR ENGINE SELF-STARTERS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALDEN L. MCMURTRY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Sound Beach, in the county of F airfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Interlocks for Engine Self-Starters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to a mechanism for insuring the correct adjustment of the ignition system and the throttle of an internal combustion engine when a self starting device is thrown into action, and its object is to automatically insure the proper action of the engine when it is started with such an arrangement.

T will describe my invention in the following specification and point out the novel features in appended claims.

eferring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a mechanism which embodies my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of'one of the parts of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1 showing it as modified to cooperate with another form of self-starter. A detail of construction is shown in Fig. 3, this being an elevation on an enlarged scale, of the slip-joint which is used in connection with the other parts of the mechanism. In Fig. 4 the switch which controls the ignition system is shown in front elevation together with the arrangement which is used to actuate it. Figs. 5 and (3 are bottoni plan views of the handle of the switch and its actuating rod showing them in diiierent operative positions.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

T he dash-board of an automobile is shown in section at 10. On this is mounted the control-lever 11 of a self-starter. Apparatus for starting internal combustion engines without manual effort are well known and as they form no part of my invention they are not illustrated. But those in common use depend upon the use of a supply of energy, either electricity or fluid pressure. In Fig. 1 the control lever 11 is a part. of an electric switch which is adapted to be pushed into a stationary contact 12 to close a cir cuit for the purpose of causing the selfstarting apparatus to act. Or if desired this Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 28, 1912.

pivotally supported at 15.

Patented J an. 3 0, 1917.

Serial No. 722,847.

control lever may be the handle of a valvefor controlling the How of fluid through a pipe for the same purpose. It is shown as such at 11 in Fig. 2.

A rod 13 connects the control lever with one arm 14 of a three-arm lever which is To the opposite arm 16 is connected a plunger 17 which is used to actuate a switch l0 in a manner which will be specifically described later. The third arm 18 is connected by a rod 19 with one arm of a bell crank lever which is pivotally supported'at 20. The other arm of this bell-crank lever is connected by a rod 21 with a slidable block 22. In this block are two longitudinal holes. Through one of these holes passes a rod 23 from the adjusting lever 24 of the engine throttle, which is shown in the drawings in itsopen position. A pin 25 projects from red 23 through a slot 26 in the block 22 parallel with the hole through which the rod 23 passes.

27 is the rod by means of which the usual manual control of the throttle is effected. The rod 23 passes through a lug on the end of this control rod and a compression spring 28 is interposed between this lug and a collar 29 on the end of the rod 23.

30 designates a magneto which comprises the usual distributer the adjustment of which is accomplished by moving a lever 34..

33 is a rod which is connected with lever 34 and which passes through the other hole in the block 22. A pin 35 projects from this rod through a slot 36 in the slidable block. A rod 37 runs to the point from which the usual manual control of the distributer is made. On the end of this rod is a lug through which the rod 33 runs and a compress-ion spring 38 is interposed between this lug and a collar 39 on the end of rod 33.

The switch 40 is provided with a lever 41 which when depending vertically is in its ofi position. When moved to the left, it is arranged to connect the magneto with the engines ignition system. When moved illll which forms a projecting lip 44. O n the plunger itself is a fixed lug 4:5 and a pawl 46 pivoted at l7 and provided with a heavier lower portion 4:8 which is arranged as l shall show, to engage with the lip n.

The various parts of this apparatus have been pointed out and l will now describe its operation: When a combustion engine is to be started, it is important that the throttle be not closed so that the enginecan get its required supply of gas, that the spark distributer be not advanced otherwise backkicking will result, and that the ignition system be connected with the battery supply ratherthan with the magneto until the latter becomes driven by the engine at a high enough rate of speed to generate sulficient power to energize the ignition system.

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Even a skilled mechanician may forget to make all of these important adjustments before attempting to start an engine. When the engine is to be started by manual effort it is easier to remember thesedetails than it is when a self-starter is used and one merely has to close a switch or open a valve to set the engine in motion. By the use of this invention all of the three important adjustments set forth are made automatically without interfering with the usual manual. adjustments which may be madeeither before or after the use of the selfstarter. "W hen the operator pushes the con-' trol lever 11 of the self-starter forward, its movement is transmitted through the me chanical connections shown and described, to-the plunger 17 which is slid backward and to the block 22 which is slid forward.

The throttle-lever 24- and the distributor lever 34 are shown in their open and retard positions respectively. When in this position the forward movement of the block 22 will have no efiect upon either of them. But if the throttle is closed and the distributer is advanced, their levers will be over toward their positions indicated in dotted lines at 24 and 34 respectively. in such case the pins and 35 will be engaged by the ends of the slots 26 and 36 as block 22 moves forward, and the levers pushed thereby into their desired positions. it is obvious that either or both of these adjustments may take place and that both the throttle and the distributor are brought to the desired positions whether they had been moved little or much from them. if the throttle had been closed by a movement of the rod 2"! to the rear, it still may be opened by the forward movement of the block 22 as in such cases the rod 27 could remain stationary and the rod 23 moved relatively, merely compressing the spring 28. The same thing is true of the adjustment of the distributor by means of rod 37. Thus the automatic adjustment of these elements talres place without affecting the manual r ino-as adjustments thereof. After the engine has been started and the control lever 11 moved back to its initial position, the parts described are restored to their original positions so that the usual manipulations for adjustment may be made as readily as they could if my mechanisms were not present. l/Vhen the plunger moves backward, the lug engages the shoulder 42 on the switch lever and pushes the latter from whatever position it happens to be in, into its battery position. Therefore this movement of the plunger insures the connection of the battery with the engines ignition system during the time the self-starter is in action. During the backward movement of the plunger, the pawl 4E6 will assume the position in which it is shown in Fig. 5 on the side of shoulder t2 opposite the lug to. Now when the control lever is moved back again the consequent forward movement of the plunger will draw the switch arm with it,-on account of the engagement of the pawl l6 with the shoulder 4.2, until the switch is moved to its magneto position. Then the lower end 48 of the pawl will ride up onto the lip 44- of the bushing, which. will move the other end of the pawl down out of engagement with the shoulder l2, as is illustrated in Fig. 6. Then the switch lever ll may be moved by hand at will to its off position or back to its battery position. it may be seen then that when the selfstarter is used, the engine adjustments must be properly made, and that the mechanism which is provided for the purpose of automatically insuring the desired positioning of these adjustments, comes into use only when the self-starter is in action, and that after the self-starter has performed its 9 function and is thrown out of action, the apparatus herein described in no way hinders or affects the mechanisms for making the usual adjustments of these parts of the engine.

llhat ll claim is:

1. in combination with an internal combustion engine and a self starter therefor, a control lever, a throttle for the engine and a mechanical connection between said lever and the throttle whereby the throttle may be adjusted by the starting movement of the control lover of the starting device.

2. in combination with an internal combustion engine and a self starter therefor, a control lever, a plunger mechanically connected with said lever and a switch adapted to be adjusted by the movement of the plunger in response to the control lever of the starting device.

, switch into its bustion choi e and a self starter thereby in opposite directions and an engegmg device on said plunger for movlng the switch lever in opposite directions ln combination with internal combustion swine and s self starter therefor, e

control lever, a switch, it switch lever capsble of manual actuation, and means actuated by the movement of the control lever in opposite directions for moving the switch. lever in opposite directions without interfering with subsequent manual actuation of the switch lever.

in combination with an internal combustion' engine and a self starter therefor, a control lever, a switch having it battery position, on off position, and a msgncto position, or switch lever and means actuated by e. movement of the switch lever in a direction to set the self starter in action to move the switch into its battery position, and by movement of the control lever in an opposite direction to move the switch into its magneto position.

In combination with an internal combustion engine and a self starter therefor, nv control le er, a switch having it bettery position, on off position, and magneto position, a switch. lever, means actuated by a movement of the control lever in a direction to set the self starter in action to push the battery position, and by e movement of control lever in on opposite direction p ill the switch lever.into its nmgneto position and to release the switch lever so that subsequently may be moved manually, l

7. ln combination with an internal comtherefor, e

control lever, e slitlsble plunger e mechanical connection between said lever and plunger, whereby the movements of the lever are, transmitted to the plunger, a switch having a battery position, on off position and a magneto position and a switch lever; a projection on the plunger arranged to engage the switch lever to push the switch into its battery position upon it movement of the control lever to set the self starter into action, a pivoted pawl on said plunger arranged to engage the switch lever and to pull the switch into its magneto position. upon an opposite movement of the control lever and means for tripping the pawl out of engagement with the switch lever so that the switch subsequently may be manipulsted.

8. In combination with an internal combustion engine and a self starter therefor, a control lever, a distributor having an adjust-- ing arm, means for manually moving said arm to accomplish the usual adjustments of the distributor and mechanical connection between said lever and said arm by which the movement of the control lever to set the self starter in action is transmitted to the distributer arm without interfering with the manually actuated adjusting means,

9. In combination with an internal combustion engine and a self starter therefor, a control lever, 21 throttle having an adjusting arm, means for manually moving said arm to accomplish the usual adjustments of the throttle and a mechanical connection between suid lever and said arm by which the movement of the control lever to set the self starter in action is transmitted to the throttle arm without interfering with the manually actuated adjustng means.

10. In combination with an internal comoustion engine and it self starter therefor, control lever, a distributor and s throttle, connection between seid'lever and the dis tributer and throttle whereby the distributor and throttle may be adjusted by the starting movement of the control lever of the starting device,

11. In combination with on internal combustion engine and :2, self starter therefor, a control lever, a distributor having an. adjusting arm and a throttle having on adjusting arm, connections between said lever and the arms of the distributor and the throttle whereby the distributor arm and the throttle arm may be moved in the one direction by the movement of the control lever to set the starting device in action and whereby the control lever of the starting device may be moved in the opposite direction without offecting the distributor arm or the throttle arm.

12. In combination with an internal combustion engine and it self starter therefor, 21 control lever, a distributor, e throttle and a switch, connections between said lever and the distributor, the throttle and the switch, whereby the distributor, the throttle and the switch, may be adjusted by the starting movement of the control lever of the starting device.

13. In combination with an internal combustion engine and a self starter therefor, a control lover, a distributer, a throttle and a switch, connections between said lever and the distributor, the throttle and the switch, whereby the distributor, the throttle and the switch, may be adjusted by the movement of the control lever to set the starting device in action and whereby the opposite movement of the control lever. adjusts the switch without alfccting the distributor or the throttle.

14. In combination with an internal combustion engine and a self starter therefor, a control lever, a distributor having an adjusting arm, means for manually moving said arm to accomplish the usual adjustmerits of the distributer, a throttle having an adjusting arm, means for manually adjusting the throttle arm to accomplish the usual adjustments of the. throttle and mechanical connections between the lever and both of said adjusting arms by which the movement of the control lever to set the self starter in action is transmitted to the distributer arm and to the throttle arm without interfering with the" manually actuated adjusting means.

15. In combination with an internal combustion engine and a self starter therefor, a control lever, a distributor having. an adjusting arm, means for manually moving said arm to accomplish the usual adjustments of the distributer, a throttle having an adjusting arm, means for manually adjusting the throttle arm to accomplish the usual adjustments of the throttle and mechanical connections between the lever and both of said adjusting arms by which the movement of the control lever to set the self starter in action is transmitted to the dis tributer arm and to the throttle arm without interfering with the manually actuated adjusting means; a switch, a switch lever capable of manual actuation and means actuated by the movement of the control lever in opposite directions for moving the switch lever in opposite, directions without interfering with subsequent manual actuation of the switch lever.

16. In combination with an internal combustion engine and a self starter therefor, a control lever, a distributer having an adjusting arm, means for manually moving said arm to accomplish the usual adjustments of the distributer, a throttle having an adjusting'arm, means for manually adjusting the throttle arm to accomplish the usual adjustments of the throttle and mechanical connections between the lever and both of said adjusting arms by which the movement of the control lever to set the self starter in action is transmitted to the distributer arm and to the throttle arm without interfering with the manually actuated adjusting means; a slidable plunger, a mechanical connection between said lever and plunger whereby the movements of the lever are transmitted to the plunger, a switch having a battery position, an off position and a magneto position and a switch lever; a projection and a plunger arranged toengage the switch lever to push the switch into its batteryposition upon a movement of the control lever to set the self starter into action, a pivoted pawl on said plunger arranged to engage the switch lever and to pull the switch into its magneto position upon an opposite movement of the control lever and means for tripping the pawl out of engagement with the switch lever so the switch subsequently may be manipulated.

. In witness whereof, l have hereunto set my hand this 23 day of September in the year 1912.

ALDEN L. MoMUR'lRY, Witnesses:

' 1F. Graves,

ERNEST W. MARSHALL. 

